Electronic components have become ubiquitous in modern society. The electronics industry routinely announces accelerated clocking speeds, higher transmission frequencies, and smaller integrated circuit modules. While the benefits of these devices are myriad, smaller electronic components that operate at higher frequencies also create problems. Higher operating frequencies mean shorter wavelengths, where shorter conductive elements within electronic circuitry may act as antennas to unintentionally broadcast electromagnetic emissions throughout the electromagnetic spectrum. If the signal strengths of the emissions are high enough, the emissions may interfere with the operation of an electronic component subjected to the emissions. Further, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and other regulatory agencies regulate these emissions, and as such, these emissions must be kept within regulatory requirements.
One way to reduce emissions is to form a shield around the modules. Typically, a shield is formed from a grounded conductive structure that covers a module or a portion thereof. When emissions from electronic components within the shield strike the interior surface of the shield, the electromagnetic emissions are electrically shorted through the grounded conductive structure that forms the shield, thereby reducing emissions. Likewise, when external emissions from outside the shield strike the exterior surface of the shield, a similar electrical short occurs, and the electronic components in the module do not experience the emissions.
If the electronic components in these modules are formed on a substrate, the conductive structure that forms the shield needs to be coupled to ground through the substrate. However, the miniaturization of the modules makes it increasingly difficult to couple the shields to the ground. Furthermore, shielding the inner layers within the substrate becomes more and more important as miniaturization allows a greater density of these modules to be placed within a given area. Thus, what is needed is a shield structure that is easily coupled to ground and which provides more shielding of the inner layers within the substrate.